February 21 DVD roundup

Mainstream: J. Edgar; Puss in Boots; Tower Heist Independent: Honey 2; London Boulevard; Martha Marcy May Marlene; The Mighty Macs; Retreat; The Son of No One; Track 29 BD debut: Fort Apache; Unforgiven Documentary: Last Fast Ride; Most Valuable Players; The Story of Ireland Foreign: War of the Arrows TV: Borgia Faith and Fear; Matlock; Nurse Jackie; Weeds British TV: The Fades; Last of the Summer Wine Music: Dinosaur Jr.; Frank Zappa Stand-up comedy: I Ain’t Scared of You Kids: Underdog

Usual rules apply: synopses are taken from the press releases, snarky commentary is extra, and preview links go to YouTube’s preview pages.. And just in case you were wondering, the DVD prices are the listed retail prices. You can get them cheaper if you buy at discount stores or online.

The Fades: Season One
BBC/Warner Bros., 360 minutes, not rated, 2 discs
DVD: $34.98
BD: $39.98
Paul (Iain De Caestecker) is haunted by apocalyptic dreams that neither his therapist nor his best friend Mac (Daniel Kaluuya) has any answers for. Paul begins to see the Fades – the spirits of the dead – all around him. Things get worse when an angry Fade finds a way to break through the barrier between the dead and the living. Extras: behind-the scenes featurette, deleted scenes, outtakes.

Fort Apache
Warner Bros., 128 minutes, not rated,
BD: $19.98
Henry Fonda and John Wayne star in this classic John Ford Western, which has the two actors playing off type in this cavalry epic. Also stars a grown-up Shirley Temple. No extras listed.

Honey 2
Universal, 111 minutes, PG-13
DVD: $29.98
BD/DVD with digital copy: $34.98
Maria Ramirez (Katerina Graham) returns to the Bronx to pursue her dreams of dancing and is enlisted by Brandon (Randy Wayne) to help lead a group of rowdy dancers to a fierce national competition. Extras: commentary, featurettes. BD adds BD-Live capacity, Ultraviolet digital copy.

I Ain’t Scared of You: A Tribute to Bernie Mac
Image Entertainment, 61 minutes, not rated, $14.98
Tribute to the late comedian, who died in 2008, features clips from his performances and film/TV roles. Includes interviews with several celebrities, many of them conducted by his daughter. No extras listed.

J. Edgar
Warner Bros., 137 minutes, R
DVD price with digital copy: $28.98
BD with digital copy: $29.98
BD/DVD with digital copy: $35.99
Clint Eastwood directs this biopic of the legendary (and some would say infamous) Director of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover (Leonardo DiCaprio). Hoover placed great value on secrets, especially those that weren’t his. He wasn’t afraid to use that information in order to maintain his office, and he did so through eight presidents. One wonders how much Hoover would have loved the Patriot Act. Extras: featurette, Ultraviolet digital copy, BD adds featurette.

Last Fast Ride: “The Life, Love and Death of a Punk Goddess”
Virgil Films and Entertainment, 86 minutes, R, $19.99
Biography of San Francisco punk queen Marian Anderson, who used the pain of an abusive childhood to write songs about feminism. Performing with her all-girl punk band, The Insaints, she often appeared topless and engaged in lewd acts on stage that got her headlines, arrests and court cases. Includes live performances and extended interviews. Extras: alternate scenes, deleted scenes.

Last of the Summer Wine: Vintage 1991
BBC/Warner Bros., 330 minutes, not rated, 2 discs, $24.98
Return of the world’s longest running sitcom has the crew of geriatrics getting into mischief and mishaps. Includes the Christmas special “Situation Vacant.”

London Boulevard
Sony, 103 minutes, R
DVD: $30.99
BD: $35.99
An ex-con (Colin Farrell) is trying to make a fresh start with a reclusive actress (Keira Knightly) when they cross paths with one of London’s most feared crime bosses (Ray Winstone). Directorial debut of William Monahan, who wrote the Oscar-winning “The Departed.” Extras: behind-the scenes featurette.

Martha Marcy May Marlene
Fox, 102 minutes, R
DVD: $29.98
BD: $39.99
Martha (Elizabeth Olsen) escapes from a dangerous cult and it’s charismatic leader and tries to resume her life with her family. But the lines between reality and delusions begin to blur, and no where seems safe. Also includes director Sean Durkin’s short film “Mary Last Seen,” which was the inspiration for this film. Extras: cast interviews, featurettes, live-action short, music video.

Matlock: The Seventh Season
Paramount, 700 minutes, not rated, 18 episodes, 5 discs, $49.99
Just like it says: the seventh season of the wily courtroom tactician (Andy Griffith) who gets people to confess on the stand in benefit of his clients. No extras listed.

The Mighty Macs
Sony, 99 minutes, G, $26.99
Coach Kathy Rush (Carla Gugino) arrives at Immaculata College, a tiny school where the woman’s basketball team has no budget, no uniforms and no Jim. A young nun named Sister Sunday (Marley Shelton) helps her ignite the team spirit despite financial troubles and competition from bigger and better-funded schools. Against all odds, they take it all the way to the 1972 NCAA finals and win. Based on a true story. Extras: deleted scenes, featurettes.

Most Valuable Players
Virgil Films and Entertainment, 95 minutes, not rated, $19.99
Documentary showcases three high school theater groups that are competing for a regional award, “The Freddy,” in their eastern Pennsylvania/western New Jersey area. This is the Director’s Cut, and includes a “Where Are They Now” reunion show. Part of the OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network) Documentary Club. Extras: commentary, deleted scenes, interviews, outtakes.

Nurse Jackie: Season Three
Showtime, 334 minutes, not rated, 12 episodes, 3 discs
DVD: $39.98
BD: $39.97
Third season of Showtime series starring the self-medicating Nurse Jackie (Edie Falco), who is facing an intervention when confronted by her husband and best friend. Extras: episode commentary, featurettes, gag reel.

Puss In Boots
Dreamworks, 90 minutes, PG
DVD: $29.99
BD with digital copy: $39.99
3DBD/BD/DVD with digital copy: $54.99
Prequel to “Shrek” films tells the early tale of Puss in Boots (voice of Antonio Banderas) as he teams up with Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek) and Humpty Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis) for a showdown with the notorious Jack (Billy Bob Thornton) and Jill (Amy Sedaris). Also enclose a SQL short: “Puss in Boots: The Three Diablos.” My kids have already watched this twice; I’m sure they won’t mind watching it with me again as I watch it for the first time. Extras: cast interviews, deleted scenes, digital copy, Easter eggs, featurettes, interactive game, music video. BD adds featurettes, interactive game, pop-up trivia track. Comes out Feb. 24.

Retreat
Sony, 90 minutes, R, $30.99
Martin (Cillian Murphy) and Kate (Thandie Newton) retreat to an isolated island to work on their relationship and get away from civilization. However, when a bloodied stranger (Jamie Bell) shows up at their door, claiming that a virus is sweeping across Europe, things get a bit more interesting. Extras: making-of-featurette, photo gallery.

The Son of No One
Anchor Bay Films, 94 minutes, R
DVD: $26.98
BD: $29.99
BD/DVD: $34.98
Jonathan (Channing Tatum) is assigned a cold case in his Queens neighborhood; a local reporter’s (Juliette Binoche) stories suggest that the former lead detective (Al Pacino) may have covered up evidence. But the dark secrets the case reveals threaten his life and family. Extras: commentary, deleted scenes.

The Story of Ireland
BBC/Warner Bros., 300 minutes, not rated, 5 episodes, $29.99
Documentary on Ireland reflects on the country’s history, especially since the 1998 Good Friday Agreement that brokered an end to the ongoing civil war. No extras listed.

Track 29
Image Entertainment, 90 minutes, R, $14.98
Linda Henry (Theresa Russell) is unhappy in a barren marriage to surgeon Henry Henry (Christopher Lloyd). Things change when hitchhiker Martin (Gary Oldman) drops in on her, claiming to be the child she gave up for adoption after a teenage pregnancy. However, she starts to wonder about him when bizarre events and behaviors start to occur. No extras listed.

Underdog: The Complete Series
Shout! Factory, 1,260 minutes, not rated, 64 episodes, 9 discs, $69.97
“There’s no need to fear – Underdog is here!” Box set of the anthropomorphic superhero, who transformed from the lovable Shoeshine Boy into the fearless Underdog whenever Sweet Polly Purebred was in trouble, usually with the villians Simon Bar Sinister and Riff Raff. Comedian Wally Cox provided the voice of the rhyming crusader. Also features the Go Go Gophers, Klondike Kat and Commander McBragg, plus bonus cartoons “Tooter the Turtle” and “The Hunter.” Extras: alternate scenes, episode commentary, featurette.

Unforgiven
Warner Bros., 131 minutes, R, $34.99 (BD reissue)
20th anniversary edition includes a 54-page Blu-ray book of the Clint Eastwood western, which won four Oscars, including Best Picture. Includes the “Maverick” episode “Duel at Sundown” and four documentaries. Extras: commentary, documentary.

War of the Arrows
Well Go USA, 122 minutes, R
DVD: $24.98
BD: $29.98
In 1636, Korean villages are ravaged by the second Manchurian invasion. The Manchurians kidnap Ja-in (Moon Chae-Won) and Seo-Goon on their wedding day. Her brother, Nam-Yi (Hae-il Park) is the best archer in Korea, and he takes on the Manchurian army armed only with his bow in an effort to save his sister and the other kidnapped villagers. Extras: cast interviews, deleted scenes, making-of-featurette.

Weeds: Season Seven
Lionsgate, 286 minutes, not rated, 13 episodes, 4 discs, $39.98
After Nancy Botwin (Mary-Louise Parker) takes the rap for murder and serves three years in jail, she aims to make a fresh start in New York with her family of felons. Also sgtars Justin Krik, Hunter Parrish, Alexander Gould and Kevin Nealon. Guest stars include Martin Short and Jennifer Jason-Leigh. Extras: cast interviews, deleted scenes, documentary, episode commentary, featurette, gag reel.